Sentiment
by Kathleen.Anne.Vincent
Summary: When Loki is broken out of Asgard by the Goddess of Winter, he and his new ally journey to Midgard with only one intention; to exact revenge against Thor, and the God of Mischief knows just the mortal woman to use against his once-brother... Post-Avengers. Cover Art by Rocketypo. Loki/OC, Thor/OC, Thor/Jane, Bruce/OC, J.A.R.V.I.S/OC, but don't worry, they're not all the same OC!
1. Chapter One Part One

Stories are told of him, stories to frighten the young children of Asgard.

He is the monster in their nightmares, but once he walked among them, and even ruled them.

She is fascinated by him.

From the very first time she heard the stories of Loki, the God of Mischief, she knew he would one day rise again; a dark figure amongst the destruction he crafts.

And she knows she has to help him get there.

That is why Kolfinna, the Goddess of Winter, is sneaking around the dungeons of Asgard. She has heard many rumours of Loki's imprisonment in the gaol cells down in the very heart of the kingdom, and suspects that the rumours are not entirely untrue. Her heart pounds against her ribs as she flattens herself against a wall and peeks around the corner; checking to make sure that no guards are on the cusp of discovering her presence in the strictly forbidden area.

With no guards in sight, she slides around the corner and continues down the dimly lit passageway. The light from the wall-mounted torches flickers over her pale skin and the sound of her raspy breath surrounds her like heavy fog. She feels she is getting close to him.

A hand grasps her shoulder and spins her around suddenly.

"Zainah!" Kolfinna shrieks in surprise, "Do not sneak up and frighten me like that!"

"Shhh!" Zainah, Goddess of the Earth, hisses. She looks around anxiously, "I do not wish to be discovered here either..."

"What is your business down here in the dungeons?" Kolfinna whispers irritably.

"I might ask you the same question. This is not the first time I have caught you down here."

"My business is my own." Kolfinna retorts coldly, but then her expression softens, "Do not question my actions, friend. Please."

Zainah narrows her eyes slightly at Kolfinna, "Best friends are supposed to tell each other _everything_."

"Please. I can guarantee that you will know in time, but that time is not just now."

Zainah sighs, "Fine. I shall not pry. However, you did promise to aid me in choosing a suitable dress for tonight's celebration."

"Ah. Yes, my apologies."

"Thank you. Now let us go from here, it is unnaturally cold and I am nearly frozen stiff."

Kolfinna smirks, "I cannot feel it, being the Goddess of Winter."

"Consider yourself blessed then." Zainah grumbles.

As the two turn to find their way back out of the dungeons, Kolfinna glances over her shoulder and looks into the dark of the passageway behind them. She knows that she will return here again tonight, because tonight is to be the night that Loki will begin his illustrious return to power. She will make sure of it.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Zainah throws the magnificent oaken doors of her wardrobe wide open.

"I was considering this one." She says, taking out an auburn and white dress and holding it against her body.

Kolfinna tilts her head to the side, then gets up and rifles through the wardrobe herself. She pulls out a stunning emerald and gold dress, with long sleeves and a low cut front and back. "I think this would be better." She says casually.

Zainah throws the first dress onto her bed, and holds the second against her body. She twirls on the spot and smiles at the fluent movement of the cloth.

"See? Beautiful, if the mighty Thor were to ask you for your hand in a dance..." Kolfinna says with a sideways glance at her friend.

Zainah's rich blue eyes light up, "Do you think he will?!" she asks excitedly.

"I do not see a reason as to why he should not." Kolfinna replies.

There is a gentle knock at the door. "Enter." Zainah calls.

The door opens and an android steps into the room. She is a little short but well built, with fluent, humanoid movement and glowing, realistic eyes. Her hair is straight and shoulder length, made of gold metal so it remains rigid, and the small rectangular opening for her mouth lights up with each spoken word. "I have brought the dress you requested, Kolfinna," The android says, laying a glittery silver and blue garment on the bed, "Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

"No thank you, Emera, that is all I need from you today." Kolfinna answers, "Will you be joining us for tonight's celebration?"

"I would be very happy to attend, if I am allowed to do so."

Kolfinna scoffs, "You are my creation-"

"_Our_ creation." Zainah corrects.

"-And I say you can come. Would you like to use one of our dresses for the evening?"

"No thank you, but I would appreciate a polish if you would be so kind. My gold and azure plating is beginning to look more like copper and cobalt."

"Of course, friend," Kolfinna then turns to Zainah, "We shall return soon to continue preparing with you."

Zainah nods as Kolfinna and the android Emera leave her chambers together.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Soon the sun is receding into the horizon; it's fading light allowing all the planets and galaxies that dot the grand branches of Yggdrasil to shine through. In the great banquet hall the celebration has begun, and all of Asgard has turned out to enjoy the evening. Music and laughter fill the hall, and the tables groan under the weight of much food and drink.

Kolfinna, Zainah and Emera are seated just across from the high table, at which sit Odin, the AllFather, and his wife Frigga, their son Thor, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. At the very end of the table is a chair that remains empty upon Thor's orders. Everyone knows that the chair is meant for Loki. Kolfinna cannot help but stare at it as she falls deep into her own thoughts.

"Kolfinna?" Zainah says, "What are you looking at?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Kolfinna gives her friend a small, reassuring smile, "Forgive me, I am just a little tired." She lies.

"Alright. Maybe you should not stay for the whole evening...?"

"I was not planning to, but I will stay for as long as I can."

"Hey, Zainah," Emera whispers hastily, "Thor has cast his eyes your way!"

Zainah turns and glances up to the high table. Sure enough, the mighty God of Thunder is watching her out of the corner of his eye. She smiles at him, and he returns it warmly. Lady Sif looks between the two, and for a moment hurt flashes across her face, but it is quickly replaced by well-masked disdain.

As the musicians near the end of their song, Thor rises from his chair and makes his way down to stand behind Zainah. He clears his throat and she jumps, having not noticed him move in behind her. "Oh! Thor! How pleasant it is to see you again..."

He bows low and extends his hand to her, "Would you care to join me for a dance?"

Zainah looks to Kolfinna and Emera, who shrug and beam at her respectively. "I would like that very much, thank you." Zainah answers, taking his hand and moving with him onto the dance floor.

The musicians strike up a melody that is soft yet profound, with the sound of the harp rising above all the other instruments. Zainah and Thor turn to each other and begin to dance quite elegantly; swaying and turning in the centre of the floor, their reflections crystal clear on the polished, golden marble. Zainah's golden and emerald dress swells and flows with each movement, and beautiful Asgardian jewels wink from around her neck and through her hair. Thor appears simply enthralled by her, and cannot help but laugh rambunctiously in his enjoyment.

Back at the table, Kolfinna shifts around restlessly in her seat. Glancing out of the windows she can see that the sun has well and truly set, and she is starting to feel anxiety settle in the pit of her stomach. She knows the time to act is fast approaching.

Plastering a deceptive smile on her face, she turns to Emera, "Forgive me, but I think I shall retire for the night. This is all getting a bit too much for me."

Emera nods, "Okay, goodnight then. Sleep well. I shall tell Zainah where you have gone when she has finished gazing dreamily into Thor's eyes."

Kolfinna smiles and slips out of the great banquet hall without notice. The warmth and noise of the celebration is replaced by a slight chill and peaceful quiet as she closes the heavy wooden door behind her with a solid thump. She is very much relieved to be out of there and away from people, but cannot enjoy the feeling for long as she runs through her next move in her mind and begins walking down the corridor; heading back to her chambers.

She does not meet a single soul on her way back, and is thankful for it. She slips into her room and quietly locks the door behind her, her attentions turning to the battle armour standing ready and waiting next to her wardrobe. Kolfinna breathes deeply in an attempt to calm the sickening nerves swirling through her insides. She crosses the room, slipping out of her dress and tossing it thoughtlessly onto the bed as she does so. Removing her armour from its place, she makes short work of strapping herself into the white, corseted leather and gleaming gold plating, and ties her hair up so it is neatly out of her face and takes her spear in hand. She closes her eyes and mentally caresses the coldest part of her core until she feels the soothing chill of her wintery powers surging through her veins. Her exhaled breath becomes puffs of vapour as the power inside her intensifies.

She crosses the room back again, unlocks her door without a sound and exits, finding comfort in the knowledge that she will never return to this place again.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

The dungeon passageways below Asgard are darker now that it has turned night; Kolfinna can hardly see five feet in front of her. She fights to keep her breathing quiet, but every sound seems to be magnified in the darkness, even her footsteps, as light as they may be. She fears the noise will give her away at any moment.

She shifts her grip on her spear, steeling herself to fight, though she would rather avoid it if she can. Getting Loki and getting out of here with minimal disruption would be ideal. She rounds a corner and stops dead; the clear sound of heavy footfalls resonating up the passageway towards her. Kolfinna quickly doubles back and crouches down in the shadows between the light of the torches. The footfalls grow closer and her breath catches in her chest. Two armoured guards suddenly stride into view, but pass right by the corridor Kolfinna is hiding in. They continue up the passage to her right, and Kolfinna gently exhales her relief. Only when the guards disappear back into the darkness does she move again.

It is becoming more and more difficult for her to tell where she is; every passage looks like the last and she is sure she has never made it this far down into the dungeons before. She ducks into the shadows again as more guards pass her by and disappear down a different path. Kolfinna is aware that she must be getting close to the heart of the labyrinth.

She hurries along the corridors, fuelled by pure excitement and adrenaline. The air begins to smell stale and musty as she moves forwards, so she covers her nose with the back of her hand. Light floods around the corner at the end of this corridor and she edges towards it warily, squinting against the harshness of the light. At the end of the passage, she leans in close to the wall and peers around the corner; four guards are standing adjacent to each other, two on one wall and two on the other. They must be guarding the room that Loki is locked in; Kolfinna knows of no other that would require such heavy supervision. She also knows that she has no choice but to defeat them in order to get past them.

Tensing her muscles for combat, Kolfinna bursts around the corner and steps into her battle stance, "Two choices," She barks, "Surrender and leave, or breathe your last breath."

The four guards break from their posts and whip around to face her, each drawing their swords. "Pity." Kolfinna sighs, and charges into action.

The guards make a slash at her, but she jumps back and swings her spear, bashing it into the side of their helmets and knocking two of them over into a wall. A guard brings his blade down upon Kolfinna but she crosses her spear in front of it to block. She twists her body and pushes the sword away, pivots and hits the guard between his armour plates with the butt of her spear. He groans in pain and doubles over, so Kolfinna swings her spearhead at his exposed neck, and he collapses with a clatter. The two guards behind her stumble to their feet, and Kolfinna pivots again, driving the head of her spear deep into the unprotected inner thigh of the closest. He falls to his knees, screaming, as blood pours through his fingers. The second makes a swipe that Kolfinna blocks, then she thrusts her spearhead at his chest. It bounces off his armour but pushes the guard off balance. Kolfinna brings her spear back down and knocks him onto his back, then she leaps upwards, using the force of the jump to plunge the spearhead through the guard's armour and deep into his chest. The guard splutters and gasps, then finally closes his eyes.

Kolfinna removes her weapon from his body with a nauseating sucking sound, and turns, very slowly, to the fourth and final guard. He is trembling violently, and sweat drips from the tip of his nose. Kolfinna fixes the guard with her most menacing glare. He drops his sword, turns and starts to run, but Kolfinna raises her hand and blasts him with an icy wind. He is flash-frozen mid-run and falls, shattering upon contact with the stone floor into a thousand shards of glistening ice that go skimming out in all directions.

Kolfinna lowers her hand, breathing heavily. She knows that the guard would have run straight to the AllFather had she let him, and that would have ruined everything. Wiping flecks of blood from her cheeks, Kolfinna takes a few steps up the corridor and turns, coming face to face with the iron-bared door of Loki's cell. If she had not been looking for it Kolfinna would have probably walked past it; it is so plain and insignificant it is almost invisible, and is the only sign that there is even a cell located on this corridor. She reaches out her hand and touches the tip of her forefinger to the lock. It crystallizes with ice and she smashes it with the butt of her spear, flinging the cell door wide open. Kolfinna enters and examines the interior.

The cell is quite large but very dark; the only source of light is that which manages to filter in through the bars of the door. Everything is stone just like the passageways, and there are no windows or furniture, merely an iron slab chained to the far wall to serve as a bed and chair.

Kolfinna's silver eyes flicker down to the shape lying curled up in the centre of the room.

Loki.


	2. Chapter One Part Two

She rushes over and kneels down beside him. His hands and feet are bound, and then are bound again at his waist so that he can do nothing but lay on his side in the foetal position. His garments are yellowed, stained with blood and dirt and look about two sizes too big for him, and he wears a mask over his mouth; no doubt to prevent him from using his famed silver tongue. His face appears hollow and gaunt, and Kolfinna cringes at the thought of what he has endured since Midgard and the Tesseract.

Loki's eyes flicker open. They gradually meet Kolfinna's and she smiles at him. He does not return it.

"I wish to get you away from this place," She whispers to him as she unbuckles the mask covering his mouth, "All hail Loki, the rightful King of Midgard."

Loki's eyes widen at her words, and Kolfinna begins to untie his hands and feet. The bonds soon fall away and Kolfinna wraps his arm over her shoulders to help him stand up. His body is weak and frail, and just the effort of standing drains all the colour from his already pale face.

"Can you walk?" Kolfinna asks.

"I believe so," Loki replies, his voice hoarse and cracking, "But what is your plan for getting off of Asgard? Surely the Bifröst cannot have been repaired yet?"

"No, it is not, but there are more ways of travelling through the branches of Yggdrasil then just by means of the Bifröst." Kolfinna answers with a wink.

A smile briefly flashes across Loki's face.

"Come, we should hurry if we do not wish to meet with more guards." Kolfinna says.

She helps Loki through the door and then down the passageway. Despite his frailty, Loki can still move quite fast but in the next corridor he slows, panting and trembling with fatigue. Kolfinna stops and lets him rest against the stone wall. At this rate she knows they will be captured before they even leave the dungeons, and she does not doubt that he knows this as well.

Loki's head suddenly snaps up. Then Kolfinna hears it too; the clanging of armour and pound of many running feet.

"Guards." She mutters.

Loki snatches Kolfinna's spear out of her hand and grabs the back of her armour, pulling her in close to his chest just as six guards come racing around the corner. The guards stop dead; their eyes fixed on Loki and Kolfinna.

Loki raises the head of the spear to Kolfinna's neck, "Let us pass." He demands. The guards remain motionless. Loki presses the pointed tip into Kolfinna's neck, making her flinch, "Back away!" he snarls.

The guards begrudgingly do as they are told, and Loki moves to go up the passage they just came from with Kolfinna shuffling along awkwardly in front of him. He moves down the passage backwards, making sure to keep his eyes on the guards. He stops, "Now!" He whispers to Kolfinna.

She immediately raises both her hands and blasts the guards with a powerful sub-zero wind, instantly freezing them in place.

Loki releases Kolfinna and hands her back her weapon, "Goddess of...?"

"Winter. Now come on, give me your arm." She answers.

Loki obeys and rests his arm across her shoulders again. They hurry along the corridors, and despite his heavey breathing and obvious pain Loki refuses to stop and rest again. More guards come rushing towards them from out of the darkness, so Kolfinna freezes them with her wintery powers and they fall and shatter. She is beginng to feel the effects of exhaustion herself, from summoning the might of winter over and over again, though she refuses to yield to it.

Loki turns and pulls her down an unfamiliar corridor, "This way!" He hisses, and she follows without question. After all, he probably does know his way around Asgard better then she does.

They change direction again and run up the staircase at the end of the corridor; climbing up into the golden halls of Asgard and inconveniently into the throw of thirty guards about to run down into the dungeons to stop them. As the guards draw their swords Loki lets go of Kolfinna, who assumes her combat stance. The guards make the first move; charging forwards and swinging their weapons fiercely. Kolfinna blocks two blades but it hit in the side and leg by two others, though she is not badly injured. Loki quickly disarms a guard and kills him with his own weapon, "We cannot keep this up!" he shouts to Kolfinna, fatigue ripping through his voice.

"Can you not use your magic to get us out of here?" Kolfinna shouts back, twisting her body and pushing the guards away from her.

"No, I cannot..." Loki answers, staggering backwards to steady himself against a pillar. His entire body is shaking violently.

Kolfinna glances at him over her shoulder, and a heavy stone drops into the pit of her stomach. She moves to stand in front of him, protecting him from further attack. She freezes a couple of guards to her right and smashes them with her spear, but just then Sif and the Warriors Three; Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun, burst onto the scene.

"The AllFather was correct!" Sif exclaims, pointing to Loki and Kolfinna, "We must prevent them from escaping Asgard!"

Kolfinna hears Loki make a noise of deepest disgust from behind her. Sif starts sprinting towards them ahead of the other three, stooping to pick up a discarded sword as she does so. She jumps up high into the air, the sword raised above her head, but Kolfinna merely sidesteps her. Sif lands, her blade clanging loudly against the floor, and Kolfinna hits her between the shoulder blades to push her far away from Loki. Fandral draws his sword and just as Kolfinna is swinging her spear downwards upon Sif he crosses his blade in front of her attack and blocks it. He pushes Kolfinna back and she stumbles, but does not fall. A few guards pounce upon her, but she immobilises them with a weak frost, which is all she can muster now. They fall to the floor but do not shatter; their fingers twitch and their eyeballs dart wildly around in fear and confusion. Kolfinna looks to Loki who turns and runs, and she follows his lead. This is clearly not a fight they can win.

Together Loki and Kolfinna run up the golden hall, perused by Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun and the rest of the guards. The gap between the two parties is quickly closed as neither Loki nor Kolfinna really have the strength left to flee. At the end of the hall, Hogun runs up alongside Kolfinna and pushes himself off the wall, crashing into her and sending her flying painfully into Loki and then again through a pair of large oaken doors.

Music screeches to a halt and the space around them fills with gasps and shrieks. Kolfinna opens her eyes again, her entire body throbbing. She pushes herself off of Loki and looks around; Hogun has propelled them right into the centre of the great banquet hall, where the night's celebration still blazes. Every pair of eyes in the room is fixed upon them, though some shift to Sif, the Warriors Three and the guards as they enter through the doors blown wide open by the new, unexpected guests.

Sif marches proudly up to Kolfinna, whose fingers close around her spear again; determined not to surrender. When she is within reach, Kolfinna lifts her spear and swings it across. The spearhead severs right through Sif's leather armour and slices her stomach open. To a chorus of shrieks and cries, she screams and falls to her knees; frantically clutching at her body to try and slow the gushing blood. The Warriors Three rush to her aid and the crowd of Asgardians back away, giving the group a much wider berth.

At the high table, Odin at once rises to his feet, "STOP!" he bellows.

Thor, speechless, vaults the tables and pushes his way through the crowd to Sif's side. Kolfinna stands and helps Loki get to his feet again, the crowd giving more shrieks and gasps at the mere sight of the God of Mischief.

Amongst the crowd Kolfinna spots Zainah and Emera from the corner of her eye, and her heart swells with an intense, dark pride at the sight of their horror-stricken faces. _Now it's my turn to shine_ she thinks bitterly as she pulls Loki through the crowd, who all separate under her threatening glare to let them pass.

Kolfinna hears the sweep of a cloak as Thor gets to his feet again and turns, "Brother," he pleads, "What are you doing?"

Loki stops. When he does not answer, Kolfinna does so for him; "I am getting him away from this place." Thor's blue eyes flicker down to Kolfinna, "All hail Loki! The rightful King of Midgard!" she shouts defiantly.

"Kolfinna…" Zainah breathes.

"You know your actions are wrong, brother." Thor continues, his attention turning back to Loki, "Please, do not do this. You need not throw yourself over the edge again…"

At these words Loki lets go of Kolfinna, straightens his posture and sets his face into a mask of callousness, "I am not your brother," He answers coldly, "I never was."

Thor grits his teeth to stop his eyes from watering as it dawns on him that Loki does truly believe this. He knows he has heard those words from him before, but he never thought that the belief was so deeply ingrained into his brother's mind… Glancing up at the high table, even the AllFather appears affected by Loki's words.

Then suddenly Loki's strength fails and he doubles over, squeezing his eyes tight shut. Kolfinna and Thor both jump to his aid, but Loki glares at his once-brother, stopping him short, though he allows Kolfinna to drape his arm over her shoulders again. Thor looks to Odin, who shakes and bows his head sadly. Thor tries to swallow the lump in his throat, understanding that he is to do nothing and simply let his brother go.

Kolfinna brings Loki out to the balcony at the other end of the banquet hall; every set of eyes in the room still fixed on even their smallest movements. She sets him down to rest against the marble railing, the stars above them maintaining their place in the sky even as Asgard teeters on the cusp of dawn.

Then Zainah, with Emera in her wake, pushes her way through the crowd and out onto the balcony, "Kolfinna!" she cries, her voice breaking with choked back tears. Kolfinna turns to face her, completely prepared for the confrontation that is to ensue.

"Why are you doing this, my friend?" Zainah asks, coming to a stop in front of her, "Is this the reason why you were forever sneaking down to the dungeons? You were looking for _him_?" Zainah gestures to Loki. Kolfinna nods, her face void of emotion.

"But _why_?" Emera asks from over Zainah's shoulder.

Kolfinna clenches her jaw and looks away, a dark shadow stealing the shine from her silver eyes, "Because I am _sick _and_ tired_ of always being seen as second best." She answers, her voice low and quivering, "It has never mattered what I do, or how hard I try, I simply cannot match the Valhallian light that you both are seen in and command on a whim, and I deserve better. I want to be seen in the same light, and to also be hailed in glory!"

"What?! That is not true!" Zainah protests, "You are much too hard on yourself! Kolfinna, you are our friend-"

"No." Kolfinna growls, her expression hardening, "This is not a bond of _real_ friendship. This is a bond of lies."

"And you expect to get something better with the God of Lies?!" Emera exclaims.

"I expect to prove my value. To all of you. To all of the Nine Realms!"

Suddenly, out of pure desperation and well-meant anger, Zainah grabs Kolfinna's arm and tries to drag her back into the hall, but Loki swiftly snatches the spear from Kolfinna's other hand and holds it to Zainah's face. The crowd gasps and Thor moves to step in, but Zainah quickly lets go of Kolfinna and backs away, so Loki instead aims the weapon at his once-brother, making him stop short again.

Loki locks eyes with Thor for a moment, and Kolfinna glares at Zainah and Emera. Then Kolfinna steps in closer to Loki and whispers something in his ear. He looks at her sideways and nods, then points the spear at the rest of the crowd, "Do not try to stop us!" he warns, "Unless you wish to serve as a harsh example to the rest!"

He raises the spear above his head and brings it down across his knee; snapping it cleanly in half. A red and silver glitter spills out of its hollow centre, and Loki pours it out over the edge of the balcony. The glitter remains suspended in the air just beyond the edge of the railing, then clusters and combines into a bright red, vaporous cloud that crackles and flashes with static electricity. Kolfinna helps Loki climb the railing and together they stand before the cloud, ready to jump into it.

"AllFather!" Volstagg booms from Sif's side, "Do we not stop them?"

"No!" Odin yells back, his voice softening in his sorrow, "Just let them leave…"

So without a backwards glance, Loki, the God of Mischief, and Kolfinna, the Goddess of Winter, leap and vanish with a bright flash into the red cloud, leaving their home of Asgard behind, and leaving Zainah, Emera and Thor completely shocked and heartbroken.


	3. Chapter Two

Kolfinna wakes with a start.

She lies still for a moment, her body feeling stiff and weak. Then she hears voices drifting up from somewhere below her.

"I knew this was the safest place to come, for here we are far from the sight of the supposedly all-seeing Heimdall."

She immediately recognises the cool, silky voice as Loki's, and slowly manages to pull herself up into a sitting position to take in her surroundings. Kolfinna is sitting on a soft bed of animal fur on a raised ledge in some sort of circular wooden hut. She leans over to the edge of the ledge and peers down at the level below, which she guesses must be the main living area. The floor down there consists purely of dirt, and woven rugs and bones are strung up all over the walls. In the centre of the hut is a fire pit surrounded by blocks of wood that serve as stools, and sitting across the pit from each other is Loki and a creature that strongly resembles a Midgardian wolf, only he appears to sit (and probably walks) upright like a man.

The creature's fur is dark brown, with a black muzzle and paws, and he has small bones and beads tied into the longer fur on his hackles and tail. He is keeping an eye on a fish spit that stands over the fire while he fiddles with something in his paws; Kolfinna cannot quite see what it is because the flames of the fire flicker in and out of the way.

"I must thank you for allowing myself and my companion to take shelter in your home." Loki says to the creature.

"I am just repaying my debt to you. From now on, we are even." The creature replies gruffly, almost like a bark.

Then the creature gets up and walks around the fire to Loki, and hands him what it is he was fiddling with. Kolfinna leans forwards to try and get a better look, but the wood of the ledge squeaks under her shifting weight. The creature's ears twitch in her direction and he casts his dark orange eyes up to her, "Glad to see you conscious." He says.

Loki shoves the object into his pocket and turns around in his seat; the corner of his lips curling into a half-smile when he sees Kolfinna peering down at them.

"You must feel weak," The creature says, "The way down is there." He points to a ladder resting up against the corner of the ledge, "Come. Have something to eat. It will help you to recover your strength."

Kolfinna does not argue and descends the ladder as the creature returns to his seat. At the base she steps forwards into the firelight and looks between Loki and the creature.

"Kolfinna, this is Ravik," Loki says, gesturing with an open palm to the other, "He is an Anthrowolf Shaman."

Kolfinna dips her head to Ravik, who returns it curtly. She sits down on one of the blocks of wood beside Loki as Ravik removes a fish from the spit and holds it out for her. All of a sudden Kolfinna is struck by just how hungry she is, so she reaches over and accepts the food gratefully.

Then the Anthrowolf gets to his paws, "I apologise, but now I must go about my daily duties." He says as he takes a bow and quiver from its resting place beside the opening on Kolfinna's right, "But feel free to do as you please while you are here. I shall return when I have finished hunting."

Loki nods to Ravik as he turns, pulls back the animal skin that covers the opening, and exits the hut.

Kolfinna devours the fish straight away and throws the remains onto the fire. Beside her, Loki leans forwards and rests his arms on his legs. He fixes his stare to the crackling fire; the flickering light of which dances across his alabaster skin and projects haunting shadows into his features.

Kolfinna turns to him, studying him, "Are you all right?" she asks softly, "You were in incredibly poor health back at Asgard…"

"I am fine, thank you." He answers, without pulling his gaze away from the fire.

Kolfinna falls silent for a moment, "How long has it been since we left Asgard?" She eventually asks.

"Not long, merely a couple of days."

Kolfinna nods and lets her gaze drop to the floor. There is only one question which she really wants to ask, but she is not sure if she will like the answer…"Why did you protect me when Zainah grabbed my arm?" She blurts out, a bit more forwardly then she intended, "I mean, it's just, you need not have acted in my defence. That's all."

Loki turns to look at her. It suddenly seems as though his vibrant green eyes can see right through her, and somehow that notion is comforting to Kolfinna. "I am going to need assistance to accomplish my plan," He replies, "and you are clearly more than willing to be my ally. That is not something I will easily throw aside, nor will I let anyone else destroy it."

Kolfinna smiles, but a nagging feeling in the back of her mind tells her that his kind words do not speak the whole truth. She pushes the feeling aside, however.

"So what is your plan then?" She asks.

Loki exhales and returns his gaze to the flickering fire, "I have had much time to consider that question, and have decided that an act of vengeance against my once-brother is the only reasonable answer." A deep rage seems to bubble to the surface inside him, and something shifts in his shadowy look, "Thor is in no way my superior, yet he is treated as an idol while I am overlooked and shunned. Now I am going to bring that injustice to an end, once and for all eternity."

"So where do we start?" Kolfinna asks hastily, a wild sense of excitement stirring in her core.

"Firstly I must regain my powers," Loki answers, his green eyes returning to her, "The AllFather took from me my magic when I was sentenced to imprisonment, and I cannot simply take it back again. That would cost too much time, and is an unnecessary diversion when I know of a being who can bestow upon me new, more powerful magic."

Loki stands and walks around Kolfinna. He goes to the door and pulls back the animal skin, allowing the harsh daylight to flood into the hut.

"Come." He demands, "This is where you begin to assist me."

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Loki and Kolfinna stand in the centre of a dusty canyon, quite a distance away from Ravik's hut. Under Loki's direction, Kolfinna has traced some markings in the sand, and now Loki stands at the heart of them, his face raised to the sky. Kolfinna remains in the shadows off to the side, leaning against the canyon wall and watching attentively.

Loki lifts his arms and yells skyward, "Carnilla, Master of Magicians, I summon you to me!"

A moment's pause and nothing happens. Then suddenly the fluffy white clouds overhead grow dark and foreboding. Rain begins to sprinkle down upon Loki and Kolfinna, but then the raindrops turn into cherry blossoms and the clouds gather into one large group. The clouds spin in a circle, faster and faster, and descend down towards the earth until they form a tornado-like pillar before Loki, who stands unyielding.

Then the pillar promptly dissipates and the cherry blossoms cease; revealing a woman before Loki. She is tall and muscular, with dark skin and fluorescent green eyes that glow brightly, even in the daylight. She wears a flowing white garment that wraps around her in one large sheet but leaves her shoulders, midsection and arms exposed. Kolfinna thinks she is really quite creepy.

"What do you seek?" Carnilla asks, her voice layered and eerie.

"I wish to regain my lost power." Loki answers, his silver tongue sliding into action, "I did once possess the power of magic, like you, but it was taken from me. Stolen. I seek to gain new magic like that which I once had, but have its strength tenfold."

"And what would you pay me in return?"

"I would give you this."

Loki takes from his pocket a gleaming golden apple. Kolfinna recognises it immediately, and her eyes widen in astonishment. The golden apple is from the Iðunn tree that grows in the AllFather's private courtyard on Asgard. It is ceremoniously given to only the most special beings who have shown true honour and courage in the face of great adversary, and significantly slows the aging process of the one who consumes it, allowing them to live for hundreds of thousands of years, just like a true Asgardian. Because of this, it is considered one of the most desirable objects in all of the Nine Realms.

Carnilla appears simply stunned. Her mouth hangs slightly ajar as she tentatively reaches out for the apple, but Loki pulls it away from her grasp, "Do we have a contract?" he asks.

"Yes." Carnilla answers, "I shall grant you your desired power. Now, give me my payment."

"Give me my power first." Loki retorts slyly.

Carnilla narrows her eyes at him. Kolfinna tenses and pulls her winter powers to the surface; expecting an attack. Then Carnilla's eyes roll up into her head and she starts to chant under her breath in a bizarre, ancient language. She sways from side to side; her chanting growing louder and more forceful with each verse until its deafening sound is reverberating off the canyon walls around them. Suddenly Carnilla doubles over and tendrils of luminous white magic protrude outwards from her back, as though they were a monster being born from under her skin.

Kolfinna starts to run to Loki, feeling the need to protect him, but his hand leaps up from his side and halts her, "NO!" he roars, and Kolfinna backs away again.

The heads of each tendril curl and thrash about violently until, one by one, they lock onto Loki. They slowly corkscrew through the air; making their way towards their target and sinking their crowns into his skin. Loki flinches as the magic enters his body, but then he closes his eyes and throws his head back, arms gloriously outstretched to either side, as he is overcome by the incredible sensation of having such raw power surging through his veins. Kolfinna watches on in amazement as Loki begins to physically change; his gaunt features filling out and his body growing healthy again. His eyes snap open and his lips extend into a broad smile as his body absorbs more magical power then it has ever had before. His breath quickly becomes laboured and raspy, but he is undeniably enjoying the power.

Then the roots of the tendrils release themselves from Carnilla and sink entirely into Loki. Carnilla falls to her knees, obviously drained and exhausted, and hugs herself with trembling arms. Loki lowers his arms again, breathing heavily. His gaze falls to the master magician, on her knees and shaking, and a small, sinister grin plays across his face. He turns his attention to the golden apple in the palm of his hand, and tosses it up and down teasingly.

Carnilla raises her weary eyes to him, their glow reduced to a dull shine, "Give to me my payment." She demands weakly.

Loki smiles at her and complies; approaching her with the apple in his outstretched hand. Carnilla's eyes widen. Loki stops before her and allows her to snatch the apple from him. Without delay she crunches into it again and again. Loki's grin widens.

Then Carnilla stops, "This is not right…" She whispers.

"Something wrong?" Loki asks with obviously false concern.

Carnilla starts to gag and cough. She looks fleetingly at the inside of the apple and sees that its flesh is brown and spotted with black and red blemishes. Cursed. She drops the fruit and leans forwards to steady herself on her hands. She gasps for air and her skin rapidly dries so that it splits and bleeds. Then her arms give way below her and she collapses onto the dirt. Rolling onto her back, she begins to seize violently and froth at the mouth. Loki and Kolfinna do nothing but watch her thrash around on the ground, kicking up dirt and dust. Then a horrid gurgling noise escapes her throat, and she suddenly falls limp with a final exhaled breath. Loki steps forwards and pushes her head with his foot so that she faces him, and he sees that the glow of her eyes has died completely. He grins.

Loki pivots and walks back to Kolfinna; his worn and yellowed clothing melting into his royal Asgardian tunic with each step. He stops before her and offers out his arm with a smile, gesturing for her to link her arm through his. Kolfinna, somewhat confused about what just transpired, accepts his offer without thinking. Loki leads her out of the canyon and together they walk in silence along the trail back to Ravik's hut.

As they walk Kolfinna starts to mull over what happened. _How was Carnilla even a threat to Loki?_

"She gave to me my magic, therefore she had the power to take it back whenever she might have chosen to do so. She died because I could not let that happen." Loki says suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

Kolfinna looks at him, puzzled, "How did you know my thoughts?"

"I have regained my power to read the thoughts of whomever I wish." He answers, "Though you have my word that I will not do it to you again, for I do not like to violate a woman's privacy. However, I am aware you have more questions to ask me, so I give you my permission to voice them, if you want. It will not bother me."

Kolfinna nods, "Alright… It was this morning that Ravik gave to you that apple. I saw him hand it to you. What had he done to it?"

"Clever observation." Loki says, smiling, "Ravik is a Shaman, so I kindly asked him to use his magic to disguise a regular apple to look like one from the Iðunn tree, and then to curse it to kill upon consumption. Worked superbly, too."

"You must remember to thank him then."

Loki raises an eyebrow at the boldness of her speech, "I shall." He answers.


	4. Chapter Three

Loki and Kolfinna reach the clearing of the hut just as Ravik is returning from his hunt. As the two approach, Ravik drops the alien, six-legged deer from his shoulders and raises his muzzle to air, "You smell like your old self again, Loki." He says, "I assume my work brought about the desired result?"

"Yes it did, friend. Thank you." Loki replies, "And as much as I appreciate the welcome you have shown us, I feel that it is time for myself and my companion to move on. This is goodbye."

"The decision is entirely yours." Ravik says. He bows low, and Loki and Kolfinna return the gesture.

Then Ravik hauls the deer up and slings it across his shoulders again, "I wish you both a safe journey, and good luck." He says, then turns and disappears into his home.

Loki faces Kolfinna with a small smile, "Take my hand," He says, "It is time to leave."

Kolfinna does as instructed and places her hand on top of his outstretched one. Suddenly it feels as though her lungs have been turned to stone and she cannot breathe. The world around her and Loki spins and falls away under their feet, revealing nothing but blackness, and she tightens her grip on his hand, which he returns reassuringly. Kolfinna shuts her eyes and fights to inhale before she suffocates, but then realises that her body is, in fact, not demanding air. Confused, she opens her eyes again and looks around; she and Loki are flying through the cosmos; as weightless as air and as fast as a bullet. They are Astral Projecting; the matter of their bodies has fragmented and is following behind them, drawn endlessly to their spirits which speed through the galaxy by means of Loki's new magic.

Kolfinna catches glimpses of realms that she recognises, but they soar past all of them, "To where are we headed?!" she yells.

"To Midgard!" Loki replies.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Heimdall stands on the tip of the shattered Bifröst.

The repairers have left for the night, but Heimdall's job is eternal and so he remains, watching the stars with golden eyes.

Thor approaches behind him, "Any sign of my brother or the girl, Kolfinna?" he asks.

"Not as yet." Heimdall replies.

Every evening since their escape, Thor has walked the length of the Bifröst to ask the Gatekeeper the same question, and every evening returns with the same answer.

Then Thor pauses, breaking the routine, "Do you think they are safe?" he asks, his usual booming voice reduced to a hush.

"I do not know." Heimdall replies gravely.

A moment passes, then Thor turns back to the golden city with his head held low. He ascends the stairs to the great banquet hall where Lady Sif (who has fully recovered from her injuries, courtesy of the Healers), the Warriors Three, Zainah and Emera all sit around a table in complete silence. The grim shadows cast across their faces by the glow of the dying fire shift as they all turn their attention to Thor. He takes a seat next to Emera, and shakes his head solemnly.

"Loki _must_ be up to no good." Sif insists suddenly, breaking the silence.

"That is my brother of whom you-!"

"Not according to him." Fandral interjects coldly.

Thor opens his mouth to retort, but all words of rage seem to fail him. He closes his mouth again and looks down at his hands, "To me, Loki has never been anything less than a brother… And he never will be. No matter his actions." He says softly.

A profound, saddening hush falls over the group again. Then Zainah gets to her feet, the legs of her chair scraping slightly against the golden marble floor, and walks off to the other end of the hall. She burries her face into her hands, and Emera rises from her seat to follow after her. The android places a hand on her friend's trembling shoulders and gently squeezes.

Zainah turns to her, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Why did Kolfinna say all those things? Did she not ever value our friendship?"

Emera pulls Zainah into a tight embrace, "I do not know…" she admits.

"I just wish she was still here. I miss her so." Zainah whispers, her tears dripping slowly onto the android's metal skin.

"As do I." Emera whispers back.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Kolfinna collapses onto her hands and knees when her feet collide with solid ground. Her stomach feels light and churns uncomfortably inside her, but with a few deep breaths she manages to not be sick.

Loki steps away to give her some space and observe their surroundings; they have come to rest on the furthermost edge of a large grassy area beside a driveway lined with tall, slender trees that burst with the colourful leaves of autumn. The driveway leads up to a large, multi-story building that is positively abundant with Midgardians; each draped with shoulder bags and carrying piles of books. Loki looks to his right and sees a low, shaped wall with a gold plate bolted to it and inscribed with the words "Astrophysical College of Staten Island".

Kolfinna manages to get to her feet, the effects of her first Projection beginning to wear off, "Loki, please enlighten me as to why you have brought us here." She says between breaths.

"Of course," He replies, "but first we should find a less exposed place to speak, so we do not attract the interest of these mortals."

He takes Kolfinna's arm and leads her past the college sign to a sitting area at the centre of a dense grove of trees and flowering shrubs. They both sit down on the garden bench, facing each other, and for some reason Loki fleetingly looks Kolfinna over.

"What?!" She demands; clearly offended by his flickering eye line.

"I think we should blend in more." He answers coolly.

Then Loki reaches over and lays his hand on her armour. Under his touch the gold metal and white leather ripples like fluid, and the whole garment rearranges itself into white skinny-jeans and a black jersey top with a long grey cardigan over it.

Kolfinna examines her new clothes and a smile creeps across her face, "These will suffice nicely," she says, "But what about yourself?"

At once Loki's Asgardian tunic melts into a black suit and tie with a white collar shirt and a scarf so green it matches his eyes perfectly.

Kolfinna's smile widens, "That is quite flattering on you. I like it." She says.

"Yes. Now," Loki leans in, getting ready to relay to her their next move, "We have come to this place because my magic is telling me that this is where we will find the woman that will draw us to the pinnacle of my plan…"

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Soon Kolfinna and Loki are wading through the sea of students in the crowded halls of the college.

Loki is following the pull of his magic as though it were a compass, while Kolfinna follows in his wake. Then suddenly Kolfinna becomes aware that they are being followed. There is a girl, about twenty-three, with the tips of her long black hair dyed red, walking just a couple of feet away from them. She is staring unblinkingly at the back of Loki with the ghost of an ominous grin on her lips. Kolfinna touches Loki's arm to get his attention.

"What?!" He hisses.

"Sorry, but we appear to have picked up a tail-"

"I know she's there! Now be silent and let me work!"

Kolfinna shies away at his anger and does as instructed, but also continues to keep an eye on the girl following them.

Loki leads her (and their tail) down the main corridor and through the heart of the building, then out to the gardens at the rear of the college. The dead leaves crunch under their shoes as they make their way across the lawn and come to a halt beneath the naked branches of a large Ash tree. Before them, at the summit of a small hill, stands an ugly brick building with a large silver dome on its roof; the college's on-campus Observatory.

Loki points to it, "In there." He growls.

Students begin to pour out of the observatory as Loki and Kolfinna make their way towards it. Kolfinna glances over her shoulder at the girl following them, but cannot see her. The strange girl seems to have disappeared entirely. For a moment Kolfinna is puzzled, but then she shrugs it off as the mere oddity of Midgardians.

Loki catches the door as the last student leaves, and he and Kolfinna slip silently into the observatory.

The interior of the building is quite spacious and white; there are a few computer desks and chairs up against the walls, and posters of the universe are hung up all over the place. Odd scientific devices sit on shelves, and in the centre of it all is a gigantic telescope with its lens raised to the rectangular strip of sky visible through the open section of the roof.

Loki sighs and rests his hands behind his back. He wanders around the room; lazily examining the odd devices and some scribbled notes that lay forgotten on a desk; clearly waiting for something. Then a woman strides into view from around the side of the telescope. She jumps when she spots Loki and Kolfinna, but smiles in good humour, "Oh! I didn't realise anyone…" She stops when she realises that she does not recognise either of them, "Who are you?" she asks.

"Jane Foster? It's a pleasure." Loki says, grinning and extending his hand to her.

Jane does not accept it, "What do you want?" she demands.

"Oh, dear me Miss Foster, is that really how you would talk to a God?" He croons.

Her eyes grow wide, "God? Is this about Thor?"

"Indeed it is, Miss Foster. This is _all_ about Thor." Loki's grin falters for a moment, but then he steps towards her and regains his composure, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Loki, and I am Thor's brother. I assume he has spoken of me?"

"He's mentioned you, yes. But what are you doing here on Earth? Is Thor okay?"

"I _am _sorry Miss Foster - is it alright if I call you Jane?"

She nods.

"Jane, I am afraid that I am the bearer of ill news. Thor is going to die."

Jane gasps and her hand leaps to cover her mouth, "What?! How?!"

"I am going to kill him, but first I need to use you as bait to lure him to me."

Before she can react, Loki draws an orb of magic into the palm of his hand and throws it at Jane. It hits her square in the forehead and she loses consciousness, crumpling to the floor in a heap.

**-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-**

**Thank you so much for reading (and reviewing *nudge nudge*) the story so far! *hugs* ^_^ **

**I would just like to say, for those of you who don't know, the Astrophysical College of Staten Island is a REAL place. Here is the link to their official website (just take out the spaces after each full stop) ** _www. csi. cuny. edu_

**Also if you Google images of the College you should come across photos of the front grounds, which I attempted to describe in this chapter; "... driveway lined with tall, slender trees..."**

**So yeah. I do my research.**

**Just thought you'd like to know. :)**


	5. Chapter Four

Loki walks over and kneels down beside the unconscious Jane, wrapping his hand around her wrist. A green light shines from between his fingers, then he lets go.

"That should make her lighter…" he mutters to himself, then slides his arms underneath her and lifts her up effortlessly.

He turns to Kolfinna and nods towards the door, "We have what we need."

Obediently Kolfinna runs and opens the door for him, and together they step back out into the bright daylight. The college is now on its morning break time, and countless clusters of Midgardians are scattered right the way across the lawn. As Loki and Kolfinna advance back down towards the college, a wave of excited whispering stretches out to each group in sight, and every pair of eyes turns and fixes themselves on the spectacle of the two Asgardians.

Kolfinna looks around nervously. She does not like being watched like this.

"Leave them be." Loki says quietly to her, "I have no quarrel with any of them, and none shall stand in our way."

But then a young blonde girl comes running up to Loki, "Oh my gosh, what happened?!" She shouts breathlessly, staring at the limp body cradled in his arms.

"She has merely fallen into unconsciousness. I know not how it happened." Loki replies calmly.

"Okay, hang on, I'll call an ambulance!" The girl exclaims.

"No, really, you don't-"

She pulls out her phone and within minutes Loki finds himself handing Jane over to men in high visibility vests. As it turns out, there is a fully-functioning training hospital on Staten Island, and it is connected to the college. This does not impress Loki.

The ambulance officers lay Jane on a stretcher and lift her into the back of the ambulance.

"What do we do now?" Kolfinna whispers.

"Why not use the transport provided to us?" Loki whispers back.

The officers are just about to shut the doors when Loki rushes up to them and slams his hand against the door, preventing them from closing it, "We're her friends, can we come with you?" he asks, feigning worry flawlessly.

"Sure. Get in." The nearest officer barks as he moves over to make room for them.

Loki and Kolfinna climb into the back of the ambulance and close the doors. The siren starts to blare and the vehicle sways into motion, bobbing along inelegantly on the grassy terrain. The two Asgardians sit patently and watch as the officers work on the unconscious Jane; checking her pulse and moving her into the recovery position. Then Loki gives Kolfinna a sly sideways glance, and right away she understands what he is asking her to do. She closes her eyes and takes deep, calming breaths until her winter powers rise up from her core and into her reach. Her exhaled breath becomes puffs of vapour, and one of the officers notices it from the corner of his eye.

He looks up in confusion, "What the-?"

Suddenly Kolfinna's eyes snap open and she leaps upon the officer; touching her fingertips to his chest and injecting an intense cold through his clothes and deep into his skin. The officer screams, but the sound dies in his throat as his heart is frozen solid inside him. Kolfinna lets him tip backwards and fall to the floor with a dull _thud_, then spins and touches her fingertips to the other officer. He falls beside the first and Kolfinna looks up to Loki; keenly awaiting his approval. After a moment Loki's face splits into his mischievous grin, and Kolfinna cannot help but smile herself.

Then the officer driving the ambulance shouts over his shoulder, "Hey, what's going on back there?!"

Kolfinna quickly takes a pair of scissors out of the nearest medical kit and holds it with the blades spread open. She moves in behind the driver and slips the scissors around his neck; making sure he can feel the cold steel threatening to slice his arteries open. The driver flinches but does not try to fight her off, and Kolfinna can almost smell the fear seeping from his pores.

Then Loki appears over her shoulder and growls at the driver, "You will do exactly as I tell you. Understand?"

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

A gentle breeze blows in from the balcony, making all the curtains in the room flutter and ripple.

Thor is lying on his bed in his chambers, staring up at the high ceiling and reminiscing about his childhood with Loki. A small, bittersweet smile curves the corners of his mouth as he remembers all the good times they shared; when they used to team up against Sif and the Warriors Three in play fights and won, or when they rode out to the beach in the far North of the realm and lay on the warm sand and talked for hours…

Suddenly Thor's musings are thrown from his mind when Heimdall bursts into his chambers.

"What is this-?" Thor booms, bolting upright and taking his hammer Mjolnir from the floor.

"I thought you would like to be the first know," Heimdall explains, "I have found the girl, Kolfinna, and your brother, Loki."

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

The ambulance crawls to an eventual standstill, and Loki and Kolfinna prepare to get out and continue on foot.

They have driven into the opening of the abandoned tunnel system below the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which is just forty minutes away from the college, and which Loki (taking Barton's advice) had used as a hideout when last he was on Midgard.

The ambulance driver turns around in his seat and watches his captors as they bustle about in the back, "So… are you just going to let me go?" he asks optimistically.

Kolfinna answers him by casually reaching over and slicing his throat open with the scissors. Blood sprays outwards from his neck, colouring the front seats crimson and painting the windows to obscurity, then the driver slumps over the steering wheel and remains there, motionless.

Loki lifts Jane into his arms once more as Kolfinna throws the back doors wide open and stops dead in astonishment; the stalker girl from the college is standing there, her car parked just a few feet behind her. She innocently smiles at the two Asgardians, "Hi!" She chirps, "Remember me?"

Kolfinna is speechless. She looks around to Loki who sighs and rolls his eyes, "Damn mortals…." He mutters, "Alright, if she's so determined to make an annoyance of herself then she can come with us. In chains."

As if on cue, strong, steel shackles materialise around the girl's wrists and bind her hands together in front of her, but despite this her smile does not falter.

_Why, in all of the Nine Realms, would a mortal want to get themselves mixed up in trouble like this?_ Kolfinna wonders as she drops down from the back of ambulance, Loki with Jane doing the same. Kolfinna begrudgingly takes the girl's chains in hand and shoots her a look of daggers; a clear warning of the consequences should she try anything. The girl's smile only widens.

"Keep close, or you will likely get lost in here." Loki warns, then turns and starts to lead them further into the looming shadows of the tunnel.

Kolfinna tugs on the girl's chains, pulling her into step, and within seconds the ambulance, the girl's car and the light of the tunnel entrance has been swallowed up by the darkness.

The ground under their shoes is hard like stone and the shrill beat of their footfalls echoes all the way up and down the passage. The pale brick walls around them stand tall and magnificently arched, but are narrow and even in the limited light appear filthy and neglected. Cobwebs dangle in the high corners and a stale, damp smell fills Kolfinna's nose. They walk for what feels like an eternity before the light level begins to lift and the passage abruptly fans out into a large, odd space; with sand coating the floor like a shifting rug and a row of brick columns bordering the furthermost wall. In the centre of this unusual space is a piled assortment of equipment, generators, and various other Midgardian apparatuses that sit covered over by a massive sheet of plastic.

"This was left here from when last I was on Midgard." Loki explains, "This is where I had the scientist, Selvig, work on the Tesseract."

He lays Jane down against the mountain of gear and takes four thin, metal rods out from under the plastic. He moves away to the far corner of the room where he places the rods down on the ground and steps back, gently closing his eyes and holding his hands out in front of him with his fingers spread apart. Kolfinna and the strange girl watch as the metal begins to glow green. The rods slowly rise into the air, each twisting and contorting itself into a shape like that of a cap of a bottle of liquid.

Then Loki reaches down with one hand and takes some sand from the floor. He rubs it between his fingers like plasticine until it forms a long, thin rod of clear glass. He opens his palm and the glass glows green like the metal, then rises and flies over to hover parallel to the four metal caps. He takes some more sand and turns it into another rod of glass, which flies over to join the first. Then both rods begin to warp and stretch out into large planes of glass, then curl around and fuse themselves to the caps.

Only now does Kolfinna realise what Loki is building; two narrow, cylindrical tubes to cage their captives in.

As the glass settles into place, Loki looks over his shoulder at Kolfinna and motions with his head towards the strange girl and to the first tube. Kolfinna nods and pulls the girl over, positioning her directly beneath the cylinder. She steps back and Loki lowers the tube over the girl and secures it to the floor. Kolfinna goes back and gets Jane, who moans as she is dragged over to the second cylinder. She lays her down on the sand and Loki lowers the second tube, bolting it to the floor with a heavy, condemning _thunk_.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Thor stops and drops down onto one knee, his arm crossed over his chest.

He, Zainah, Emera, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three are in the Grand Throne Room, kneeling before the All-Father and preparing to deliver the news about Loki and Kolfinna.

Thor looks up to Odin, who sits proudly on his golden throne. The All-Father motions for all to rise.

"Father," Thor begins, "Heimdall has found the location of Loki and Kolfinna. They have fled to Midgard. They have taken two hostages, one of whom is a friend to me. I request permission to go to Midgard and bring to an end whatever scheme my brother is trying to unfurl."

Odin exhales and blinks slowly. He is clearly feeling worn and aged, "Thor, I do not have the strength to summon all the Dark Matter needed to send you to Midgard again."

"But we have the Tesseract." Thor answers, as though it were obvious, "I could use it to transport myself and one other."

"And practically give the Tesseract back to Loki!" Fandral exclaims, "It would be foolish to place such a temptation within his sights again."

"It would not be in his sights." Thor replies, "I will leave the Tesseract in the care of Eric Selvig, a scientist who knows how to handle it and will keep its presence on Midgard a secret."

"Who is to say that-" Fandral starts, but Odin raises his hand to silence him.

"Thor, are you certain that this human, Eric Selvig, is capable of keeping the Tesseract safe?" The All-Father asks.

Thor nods. He does not show a hint of doubt.

"Then my decision is clear. You have my permission to use the Tesseract to transport yourself and one other to Midgard in order to stop Loki and bring him and his accomplice, Kolfinna, back here, to Asgard."

Sif takes a step forwards, her posture strong and certain, "And I shall be the one to accompany him." She says sternly.

"No." Zainah interjects, "I shall go. I mean no disrespect, but I fear for what Lady Sif might do to Kolfinna out of revenge for the injury she sustained on the night of the celebration. Moreover, I know how to speak with Kolfinna. I may be able to persuade her to come home without resorting to violence."

"I second that." Thor adds.

"If Zainah goes then so do I!" Emera says suddenly, stepping forwards to stand beside her friend.

"The Tesseract can only support two." Sif points out, her bitterness quite apparent.

"The Tesseract, while constrained, has the power to transport only two organic beings." Odin explains, "But Emera is an android, and therefore does not count. She and Zainah will accompany Thor on this undertaking." He says, his tone absolute.

"You have our gratitude, Father." Thor says, bowing, "We who are travelling shall return to our chambers to prepare, for I say that we shall depart at dusk."

**-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-**

**Hey again guys!**

**I would just like to remind you that I DO do my research, and have included a link below that will take you to an article which explains all about the Veterans Memorial Bridge and how it was used as a film set for The Avengers, and another link that shows you the route the ambulance would have driven to get from the College of Staten Island to the Bridge.**

**Route ≫ **_mapq. st/POc1Qf_

**About the Veterans Memorial Bridge ≫ **_www. clevescene scene-and-heard/ archives/ 2012/06/27/ a-look-under-the-veterans-memorial-bridge_

**All you have to do is copy-and-paste the URL and take out the spaces.**

**Thanks for reading, and please review! :D**


	6. Chapter Five

The silver, crescent moon sits pompously on her throne amongst her subjects, the stars, in the inky black, New Mexico sky.

Doctor Eric Selvig is sitting on the roof of the old diner, surrounded by papers and a telescope. He pulls back from the telescope's lens to examine the sky with his own eyes, and with one hand fumbles about beside him for his cup of coffee. There is a clatter as he accidently knocks the cup over, spilling its contents all over his papers.

"Oh, sh-" He grumbles, jumping up to get out of the away of the expanding pool of caffeine.

He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and begins to mop up the puddle, while also trying to save the rest of his papers from being tarnished. Then he hears a familiar crackling sound, like electricity, only something in the back of his mind tells him it is not. A burst of bright, cerulean blue light flashes from behind him and he spins around, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He leans forwards to peer over the edge of the roof, "Thor?!" He exclaims, hardly believing what he sees.

The mighty God of Thunder and the two beings accompanying him look up to the rooftop where Selvig stands. Thor's face splits into a massive grin, "Eric!" He booms.

"Thor! What are you doing on Earth again?" Selvig shouts, hardly able to contain his joy.

Thor laughs, "Come down from up there and I shall answer all of your questions!"

Selvig nods and turns, walking from view, but reappears from around the side of the diner a few moments later. He smiles at all three Asgardians, then his gaze falls to the Tesseract they hold between them. His face falls and he stops.

"What is that doing here?" He asks, his tone grave.

Thor places a hand on Selvig's shoulder, "Come, let us move inside. I promise you I will explain everything."

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

By nightfall Jane has fully regained consciousness.

Loki and Kolfinna have both returned to wearing their armour, and the strange girl, as all three have discovered, is _unbelievably_ annoying.

"Fill the school with gasoline, fa la la la la, la la la LA!" She sings, her voice obnoxiously loud and out of tune.

Jane sits in her cage with her legs crossed and her hands over her ears, "Give it a break! It's not even Christmas!" She yells, trying to be heard over the singing.

"But I like this song!" The girl protests, pouting out her bottom lip.

"We gathered as much, but you still need not have sung it through eight times!" Kolfinna shouts angrily.

The girl bites her lip and giggles.

Then Loki's echoing voice comes to them from the corridor, "I can hear you three quarrelling all the way through the tunnels, you know." He says as he appears from the mouth of the corridor, "So all of you, _shut up_."

"NEVER!" The strange girl shouts, then bursts into a fit of giggles. Loki glares at her.

Kolfinna turns to him, "It is done?" She asks quietly.

"Yes." Loki answers with a malevolent grin, "My magic will alert me to the presence of anyone in the tunnels. We have robbed Thor of the advantage of surprise-"

In her cage, Jane stands and bangs her fist on the glass, "Loki! Let. Me. Go!"

Loki turns to her and scrutinizes her for a moment, his hands interlocking themselves behind his back, "You know, I really do not understand what my once-brother sees in you, Jane Foster." He says calmly, almost frigidly, "You are not beautiful like the maidens of Asgard, nor are you skilled in any of the noble arts, such as archery or horsemanship. Each and every one of your qualities is vulgar, and I loathe every moment I must be in your presence. Why Thor would choose you over any number of women is, to put it fairly simply, a complete mystery to me. And that, I assure you, is saying something."

Jane is shocked into silence, her mouth slightly ajar. She was not, regardless of the circumstances, expecting such cutting remarks from her captor. Kolfinna can clearly see her internal struggle with tears, and knows that it was exactly Loki's intention to make her cry.

"Hey guys! D'you like my shirt?" The strange girl suddenly blurts out. She grabs the bottom of her top and pulls it down, stretching it out for everyone to see. It is white and has a humorous print of blood below a line of black text reading '_I'm fine_'.

Loki's tolerance snaps. He turns violently towards the girl and storms up to her, bearing his teeth in a vicious snarl. He raises his hand and the glass of her cage shatters to the right, as though it has been blown out by a strong wind. Three small, silver throwing daggers materialize between Loki's fingers and he twists his body back, ready to launch them.

A massive grin splits across the girl's face, "You don't even remember me, do you Lie-Smith?"

Loki stops, "Excuse me…?"

The girl giggles, "Well I remember you, Loki Odinson. God of Mischief and Lies."

Kolfinna gets to her feet, looking repeatedly between Loki and the girl. There is no way a mortal should know that much about a God.

The daggers disappear from Loki's hand, "How is it you know of me? Who are you?" He demands.

"Not gonna lie; I'm quite heartbroken that you don't remember me… but then again, you and Thor were pretty young when I left…" The girl teases, stealing a sideways glance at him.

Loki racks his mind for the answer. His eyes dart back and forth as he thinks, then realization dawns across his face, "Weth, Goddess of Anger." He breathes.

The girl's face falls and she rolls her eyes in disgust, "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten that was my birth name. 'Weth'. Yuck. I changed it years ago when I moved down here, to Midgard. I'm Raven now. Raven Grimshaw."

Loki narrows his eyes at her, "You were manipulating my emotions when we were at the College, weren't you?" He asks slyly, "You're the reason why I could not help but snap at Kolfinna when she tried to alert me to your presence."

Raven giggles, "Yep. I can influence people's rage levels just by staring at them. Great fun it is too! Now…"

She stands and moves to step out of the broken tube, but with a wave of his hand Loki sends the shards of glass back into place; repairing the cage with her inside it.

"While I have reconsidered taking your life," He says coldly, "I have not, however, chosen to set you free. You remain my captive, and will remain here."

Raven gives him the puppy-dog eyes, "Pwease?" She begs, "Pwetty pwease can I go outside and play…?"

"No. Shut up." Loki snaps.

Raven slumps down in her cage with a huff, and crosses her arms and frowns like a child throwing a tantrum. Kolfinna finds herself unable to suppress a small smile.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Selvig places a mug of hot chocolate in front of Zainah.

She, Thor and Emera have just gotten through explaining to him all the events since Loki's breakout, and he has hung on every word.

"So… Loki's back, and we don't know why." Selvig summarizes, taking a seat beside Thor, "Could he be wanting to take control of the Earth again?"

"I do not think so, but I am not certain." Thor replies. He lifts his own mug to his lips and takes great gulps, but stops, looking puzzled, "This is not the same…"

"Same as what?" Selvig asks.

"When I ate with Jane and Lady Darcy, when I first came to Earth, they gave to me some sort of drink which I enjoy very much. This, however, is not that drink."

Selvig grins, "That's hot coco, not coffee."

Thor looks at him, "Why can I not have this 'cough-ee' that I enjoyed so much?"

"Because it's past eleven at night and I don't have any decaf." Selvig answers, "So, why did Odin just let Loki and Kolfinna leave Asgard? That bit doesn't make any sense to me."

"It makes little sense to us either," Zainah replies, "But there must be a reason. Everything the All-Father does has a reason behind it."

Selvig nods understandingly. As he takes a sip of his own drink his eyes wander to the Tesseract, which sits on a table on the other side of the room and casts a faint blue glow over everything around it, "And what's the deal with that? Why did you bring it back here?" He asks in a low voice.

"It was the only way we could travel to Midgard." Thor answers. He pauses, "Eric, I must ask you to take care of it."

Selvig turns to Thor, his mouth open in protest, but then he sees all the Thunder God's earnestness and pleading in his blue eyes and his words of objection falter on his tongue.

"Is there no other way to keep it hidden?" He asks instead.

"Not that I care to know about. You are the only person I would trust with the care of the Tesseract, which is why I must ask you to keep it safe." Thor answers.

Selvig sighs, "Then I guess I have no choice. Don't worry; I promise I will never let it leave my sight. The world has already experienced enough of its destructive power."

Thor smiles, "Thank you, my friend."

Suddenly Thor squeezes his eyes tight shut and his hands leap to clasp either side of his head. He grits his teeth together and writhes in pain, falling from his chair and bumping the table, knocking all the mugs on it over. Selvig, Zainah and Emera jump to their feet and rush to his side to try to hold him still.

"Thor! What is wrong?!" Zainah yells.

"Lo… Loki…" Thor manages to stammer.

All three exchange worried glances.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Loki relaxes on an ornate gold and emerald throne, with Kolfinna sitting on one arm of it beside him.

The God of Mischief is waving his hand about in the air; manipulating a silver thread of magic connecting an image of Thor thrashing about on the ground to his fingertips.

He grins maliciously, "This should speed things along a little." He mutters.

Behind him, Jane listens as the image of Thor screams in agony, and hot tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, "Thor…" She whispers, her voice thick with choked-back tears.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Thor suddenly stops thrashing.

"Thor?! Are you alright? What just happened?" Zainah asks, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Panting, Thor slowly starts to sit up.

"I'll get you some water." Selvig says, and rushes into the kitchen.

"What did Loki do to you?" Emera asks.

"He…" Thor says hoarsely, his body swaying slightly, "I think I know where he is. My brother has shown me his location."

"He must want to be found." Zainah says. Emera nods in agreement.

Selvig comes back with a glass of water and kneels down beside Thor, holding it out for him. Thor accepts the glass gratefully and drains it.

"Where is Loki?" Zainah asks.

"He showed me… a bridge. A bridge over a river, and a great city beyond it. The city we fought in."

"New York." Selvig says, "But that bridge could be one of any possible number-"

"And tunnels," Thor interjects, "There were long, snaking tunnels below the bridge..."

"Oh…" Selvig breathes, standing up. Zainah and Emera look at him, "I know exactly where Loki is." He says.

"How is it you know? Is there only one bridge with a tunnel system beneath it?" Emera asks.

"No, there are many, but there is only one that Loki would know of. It's where Clint suggested we go when Loki got hold of the Tesseract and I needed a place to work on it."

"Can you take us there?" Thor asks.

"Yes, if you want."

"Then we must leave immediately."

Thor moves to get up, and Zainah and Emera quickly wrap his arms around their shoulders to aid him.

"Are you sure you're okay to travel? It'll take us a day or two to get there." Selvig asks.

Thor nods.

"Then I'll get the truck and bring it 'round front."

"What about the Tesseract? That will have to make the journey with us." Zainah says.

"Yes… I have a box we can hide it in, and it can go in the front with me. It'll be fine there." Selvig replies.

Zainah nods to him and he turns and exits, leaving her and Emera to sit Thor down on a chair. The three soon hear the revs of an engine, and Selvig drives his 4WD around to the front of the diner. He gets out with a box for the Tesseract, while Zainah and Thor fetch their weapons, and soon all four are leaving the disused diner in the dust, with the grand buildings of New York City somewhere ahead of them.

**-xxxxxxxxxxxxx-**

**Thank you all for sticking with the story so far! Please review and tell me exactly what you think of it. All points of view are welcome, and feel free to point out as many mistakes or as many commemorable moments as you see fit! ^_^ *hugs***

**I have a link to a website that traces the route Thor, Zainah, Emera and Selvig are about to take to get to New York from New Mexico, but it refuses to be posted in the chapter properly. Sorry. :\**


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